Not A Chance
by MrMsMingus
Summary: Quick One-Shot of an unseen moment between Joan and Arthur at the end of Suffragette City (S3E9). It wrote itself today in my head so I figured I would share. Mention of Annie and Auggie. I don't own the characters or the show or anything...blah blah blah


"Arthur?"

Joan hollered through the house as she dropped her purse and the armful of files onto the dinning room table.

"I'm in the office." He yelled back to her.

"I'm surprised you're home." She yelled back as she backtracked and locked the front door.

"And I'm surprised you aren't still at the hospital."

Joan briskly walked down the hall to his office in the back corner of the house. Upon seeing her cross the threshold he removed his glasses and swiveled his chair around to face her, "How is Annie?"

Joan plopped down onto the black leather love-seat opposite to where his desk sat. "Stable. I left after the guards shift change to bring Auggie home so the man could sleep. Any word on Lena?"

Arthur shook his head, "No. We have tagged all of her known cover identities, but you and I both know she won't use them. All we can do is wait."

Joan propped her elbow onto the armrest and rubbed her forehead, "You think she is gone don't you?"

Arthur nodded his head and looked at the floor, "I do. Double or not, we both know she is one of the best at eluding agency teams."

Closing her eyes and continuing to rub her throbbing head Joan responded despondently, "It's my fault. I saw her, I had her Arthur. When we got outside I caught her eye for a moment then she just vanished." Joan opened her eyes and stared at the geometric designs in rug on the floor. "I should've been faster."

With a deep sigh he used his hands to push against his thighs and bring himself to a standing position before slowly trudging over to sit on the couch beside her.

"Joan"

"Hmm?" He scooted closer to her and waited for her to give him her undivided attention.

"Joan, look at me." She sat up straight and met his request, dropping both hands into her lap and looking into his eyes with her teeth slammed together. Arthur grasped both of her hands and pulled on them till her shoulders were turned toward him.

"You saved Annie's life. You put the puzzle pieces together just in time." She nodded and inhaled, turning her eyes away from his and back to the rug. He squeezed her hands, "Joan, I need you to hear me and I need you to look at me."

Rolling her eyes and taking a deep breath she once again met his. He saw tears creeping into the corners of her pain-filled, beautiful blue eyes and his heart broke with compassion. This strong woman who never shows emotion was sitting there beside him, broken and vulnerable. All he wanted to do was fix what was breaking her heart, "It is not your fault." His words were purposeful, his intense tone unwavering.

She nodded and looked down at their hands as a tear escaped and fell onto his thumb that was rubbing her hand.

Releasing a hand, he pushed her chin up and gently, but firmly slid his hand under her blonde hair wrapping his fingers around the back of her neck as his thumb rubbed her jawline, "We are gonna get her, okay."

Joan bit her lip and whispered, "Okay" as Arthur pulled her head onto his shoulder, tangling his fingers in her windblown blonde locks with one hand and pulling her body into his side with the other. Her first quiet whimper was followed by an uncontrollable deluge of tears. Her body shaking with each sob.

Arthur felt helpless. All he could do was hold her and wait for her find herself again. He whispered to her about his love for her, how it was going to be okay. "Joan, I'm here, I've got you."

A few moments later she stilled and relaxed in his arms. She adjusted herself so she could lay on her side with her head in his lab, legs curled up to her chest. Arthur rubbed her back, and watched her face as she tried to formulate her words. She had this habit of sucking on her bottom lip until she was ready to open up.

"Arthur, I was so scared. "

He leaned over and kissed her tear stained cheek, "I know, but you're safe...Annie is safe."

"When I walked into Annies room, and saw her there struggling to breathe, I...I have never been filled with so much rage as I was in that moment. Then seeing her lifeless, watching the doctors work to revive her, knowing there was nothing I could do. Arthur, we almost lost her."

"But we didn't." The depth of her concern for Annie only solidified his determination to find Lena. By targeting Annie, the woman had hurt his wife, and anyone that hurts Joan becomes an automatic top-priority target for him.

"I promise you, Lena Smith will be brought to justice."

Joan sighed and turned onto her back so she could look him in the eyes, "Thats a hard promise to keep."

"Probably, but she betrayed her country, hurt the agency, and a fellow operative...and you.." gently moving her hair to get a better look at the bump growing on her forehead from the struggle with Lena that morning "..she will not get away with it."

Joan reached for his hand that was now resting on her abdomen and meshed her fingers with his. She raised both eyebrows and gave him a half smile, "No, when you put it that way, I suppose she won't."

Smiling down at her he bent over to press a kiss onto her lips before whispering, "Not a chance."

* * *

_I'm pondering creating a multi-chapter deal full of random, likely very out of order unseen moments in and between old episodes...what do you guys think about that? I like writing unseen moments, but would you like to read them?_


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